Spirit of Adventure blog

After some lovely scenic coastal cruising off the rugged shoreline of north Cornwall, (which took a few locals by surprise…) we made our way south across the English Channel towards Brest, on the far western tip of Brittany.

Brittany is renowned for beautiful coastlines, pretty and unspoilt little medieval walled cities, fantastic seafood and…..unpredictable retail/restaurant opening hours.

Whilst our call was on a Sunday, I expected most shops to be closed however there was a fantastic local market in Brest city centre where stalls sold everything from Moroccan clothing to fresh mussels. Our organised tours not only roamed the city but also gave options to visit local medieval towns as well as explore the coastline.

It was a hot, sunny day – we had finally reached the so-called heatwave – with temperatures reaching 38oC in the mid-afternoon (and that was on the coast). Thankfully, we would be heading to Guernsey the next day which, being surrounded by the cool Atlantic waters, would provide a more pleasant climate in the mid-20’s, despite clear blue skies and only a light breeze.

We anchored off St Peter Port just after 07:00, and by 07:30 we had our little tender boats in the water for the fourth time this cruise, ready to escort those who wished ashore.

Guernsey is full of countryside, vintage sights, history, gardens and gastronomy, there is really something for everyone here (unless you happened to be searching for a long, straight road).

Our excursions whisked sun-kissed guests off to all four corners, and even to the nearby island of Sark, for some sightseeing.

With our final tender running back to the ship around the same time as gin & tonics should normally be served, it was time to weigh anchor for the final time and head back to Southampton, after 1743.8 nautical miles had been covered by our ship this cruise.

Kind Regards
Captain Kim Tanner